Trapped Without a Voice
by ChildoftheWater
Summary: How would you react if you woke up trapped inside your own dead body? This story is from Kenny's Point of View and takes place during the season one episode 'Pinkeye'.
1. Unwitting Hero (Prequel)

**WARNING: Rated M for Violence, Gore, Sexual Themes, Mature Language and Character Death.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own South Park or any of its characters._

A/N: This is a prequel to my story "Trapped without a Voice". It takes place about 6 months before season 1. For anyone that is wondering, "Trapped without a Voice" will continue. I actually have ¾ of the second chapter done already. While I was writing the second chapter I felt that Kenny needed some more characterization so I was inspired to write this.

I'm really proud of this story/chapter and I hope you enjoy reading it!

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"Damn, this is kickass," I mumble to myself under my orange hood. I plant my palms on the gas station shelf and boost myself up. With all my weight supported by my left hand, I swing for the price tag on the NASCAR T-shirt hanging on the adjacent rack. "15 dollars, dammit." My tattered boots hit the linoleum floor hard on my way down. _That would have been so rad to wear when watching NASCAR with Dad._ A muffled sign escapes my lips. "At least I have enough money to get a piece of candy for Karen." I thread the change in my pocket between my gloved-fingers, ignoring the newfound soreness in my left wrist.

"Hey, Kenny what's up?" someone asks from behind me. I recognize the voice right away. A covered smile appears on my face as I turn around to find Kyle next to me.

"Nothing much, on a late-night run with my family." I wasn't going to mention to Kyle that it was a late-night beer run. "What are you doing here?"

"My parents are getting some cupcakes to bring to Stan's house for dinner." Kyle answers unimpeded, being one of the few people that can perfectly understand my muffled voice. He gestures over at his parents, his mom holding Ike in one hand and a box of Kum & Go's famously enormous cupcakes in the other. It's always seemed a bit weird to me that the best cupcakes in South Park are from a gas station, but what isn't weird in South Park.

"Oh, that's cool," My smile withers behind the protective cover of my hood. "Say hi to Stan for me."

"Yeah, sure dude," Kyle grins. We stare at each other for a brief moment, an unease silence settling between us, until I sense Kyle shifting his body to leave. Before he can open his mouth to say goodbye, I perk up and force out a chuckle, "Hey Kyle, wanna see something funny?"

"Sure," Kyle shrugs and follows me to another shelf towards the back.

"Look", I giggle and point at the item, "I can't believe they sell that here."

Kyle stares up at the clear plastic package showcasing a pink oval. "What is it?" he asks, raising his eyebrow.

"It's a love egg. You know, the vibrating thing that adults put inside their pussies and assholes to make themselves cum," I explain with a stupid grin on my face.

"Sick dude!" Kyle briefly sticks out his tongue in disgust before we both share a laugh, the moment making my smile even wider.

"Hey dude…." As our laughter dies down Kyle takes a second to twist his head back and forth, "…where are your parents?"

"Wait what?" My mouth drops as I quickly survey the entire gas station. All I find are Kyle's family, Craig's dad, Wendy's mom and a few other people I don't know too well. "Are you fucking kidding me, they left me again!" I clench my fists; trying to compensate for the tightening around my chest, "Fuck, now I have to walk home."

"Wait, my parents can probably give you a ride home. I'll go ask," Kyle says.

But before Kyle takes a step we're both drawn to the obnoxiously-loud chime of the opening gas station door. Without missing a beat, my baby sister Karen pops her head into the entrance before tip-toeing inside. As we walk towards her, she sheepishly avoids eye contact with Kyle and focuses on looking up at me with her sweet baby-blue eyes. "Mommy and Daddy told me to tell you to 'get your fucking ass back in the truck.'"

My body tenses as the swears leave Karen's innocent lips. But instead of dwelling on my anger towards my alcoholic parents, I instead ask, "Did they actually realize I wasn't in the truck?"

"Sort-a. When I told them you weren't there, they told me to get you," Karen says.

"Sounds about right," I huff and shove my hands into my pockets.

Kum and Go's front entrance chime resonates throughout the small store yet again, but this time the gas station's shroud of monotony is slashed by an ear-piercing gunshot.

"Listen up fuckers! You know what this is! Everyone get down on the fucking floor or I'll fucking shoot!"

I catch a glimpse of a white man in an orange jumpsuit, holding a smoking gun up at the ceiling, before my instincts kick in. I snatch Kyle and Karen coats and dart behind a shelf, out of the gunman's line of sight. Without wasting a second, I peek over to make sure the man didn't spot us. I stare wide-eyed as he starts waving his gun from person to person like a fucking lunatic. The screeches and cries of the helpless South Park citizens intensify the thick tension in the air.

Once everyone is huddled on the ground the man staggers towards the check-out counter. As he demands all $200-something dollars in the register (and some fucking cupcakes) he can't keep his gun pointed at the quivering clerk. Instead, he continues to twitch and make large sporadic hand gestures, flailing his loaded gun around indiscriminately as he speaks. But in the middle of the madman's insults towards the "butt-fucking pussy" employee, an all-too-familiar whine just begins to register in my ears. I jerk my head back to see Karen trembling with tears threatening to burst into sobs. "Shhhhhh, you have to be quiet," I whisper and grasp her hand, squeezing it gently. "I promise it's going to be okay."

Karen sniffles a little before whispering, "You promise."

"Promise," I put on a brave face for my little sister. But when I turn towards Kyle and see the absolute terror reflected in his eyes, I can't stop my nervousness from showing through. _It has to be okay. Everything always works out in the end,_ I reassure myself.

I part my dry lips to whisper something, but am suddenly interrupted by multiple blaring sirens. In that instant, every surface in the gas station is dowsed in red and blue lights. Shouts of protest echo from the parking lot as the police demand everyone outside to leave their families and clear the area. The feedback of a police megaphone then slices through the panicked chatter of the hostages and demands all of our attention.

"We know you're in their Sam! I brought back-up, so come out now with your hands up!" It's Officer Barbrady's voice booming from the megaphone, trying to sound as intimidating as he possibly can.

"How do you know I'm in here" Sam shouts back, making Kyle and I turn to each other with raised eyebrows.

"Because the cop car you stole is right here!" A female officer barks into the megaphone.

"And because you're talking to us right now, you idiot!" A third officer yells.

"Hey, don't make him angry or he'll be more likely to shoot someo…." Barbrady's voice carries through the open megaphone before abruptly cutting off.

With that, the frantic cries from the captive townsfolk returns with a vengeance.

Officer Barbrady clears this throat before hesitantly continuing over the terrified voices, "…Um…come out now Sam and we can end this peacefully." The megaphone briefly clicks off, before quickly clicking back to life. "Also, everyone ignore the last thing I said…I didn't know this thing was still on."

 _You've got to be fucking kidding me_ , I face-palm. _Can this get any worse?_

"I'm not going back to jail, you 'donut-hole fuckers'. You're going to give me a car and let me drive right out of here," Sam shouts.

"And why the fuck would we do that, you idiot!" the third cop sneers. The amplified scuffling noises from someone snatching back the megaphone echo from the parking lot. "Shut up!" Barbrady shouts without the mic.

There is a pregnant pause before the madman grins, "Because I'm taking a hostage with me." As soon as that threat leaves his blistered lips, gasps and hysterical pleads explode from the floor and fill the enclosed space. "Also, if you call me an idiot one more fucking time I'm going to fucking kill someone!"

My breath hinges as the feedback from the megaphone cuts through the panicked shrieks once again. But it quickly disappears followed by a unified "Shut up!" from the somewhat competent police officers outside.

Kyle's mom is the first to escape the collective voice of the crowd, "Please, don't hurt my baby!" Kyle's whole body violently jerks when Ike's cries erupt from behind us. I have to let go of Karen's hand and forcefully hold him down by his shoulders to stop him from leaping over the shelf. "You can't!" I hiss.

In the next second Craig's dad's loudly gasps, "Please, I have a family". That madman must be swinging his gun around at people again.

"Kyle, stop! It's not going to help anything if you get shot, or kidnapped!" Kyle struggles under me before flashing a pained stare, tears welling up in his eyes. Gradually, I feel Kyle's muscles relax beneath my hands until he finally stops fighting. But my heart grows heavy inside my chest when Karen begins tugging at my sleeve, not relenting until I hold her hand again. I catch Kyle lowering his defeated gaze as I reluctantly flaunt the one thing he desperately wants: his sibling.

"Please, I'll do anything!" someone else sobs from behind us.

I tilt my eyes up and let out a long sign. I know what I have to do, but it's going to fucking hurt like hell.

"Kyle, whatever happens promise me you'll protect Karen," I whisper.

"Wait, what? Where are you…" Kyle jolts his head up to meet my determined eyes.

"Promise me," I press.

"You just said…" Kyle hisses.

People's cries intensify behind us. "Hm, who should I pick?" Sam taunts.

"Promise me!" I almost scream.

Kyle's breathes become increasingly rapid and shallow. With an unsteady turn of his head he takes a moment to give a worried look down at Karen, Ike's cries still ringing in his ears. He starts to part his trembling lips before freezing mid-movement, seemingly shutting down. Before I can react, Kyle's posture suddenly softens, as if a switch had been flipped in his head. With a steady exhale Kyle turns back to me before grasping Karen's free hand. "I promise."

"No, don't take her!" someone begs.

I give Kyle a pat on the shoulder before lifting myself up from the floor. But my arm is suddenly tugged down hard, almost making me lose my balance. I peer down to see Karen staring up at me with tears silently streaming down her cheeks. She tightens her hold on my hand. "It's going to be okay, I promise." I squeeze her hand and wait for her to slowly loosen her grip, allowing my fingers to slip out of her grasp.

"Hey Sam, take me as your hostage," I demand as I side-step out from the cover and safety of the shelving unit; my open palms above my head. But I can't stop a gasp from escaping my lips as I see the madman, Sam, trying to yank Wendy's mom up by her short black hair. She kicks wildly as Sam presses his gun harder against her head.

The horrific scene in front of me freezes for a brief moment while everyone turns in my direction. I gulp as the unfamiliar pressure of multiple unwavering stares weighs down on my chest. Sam blankly glares at me, seemingly trying to restart his brain, before shoving Wendy's mom back down to the ground. With both his jittering hands Sam points his gun right at me. "Where the fuck did you come from? And what the fuck did you say you muffled motherfucker?"

Now it's my turn to stand there completely dumbstruck. My eyes bulge as sweat begins to bead under the insulation of my parka. _SHIT, SHIT, SHIT! I didn't take off my hood first! I can't believe I was stupid enough to not think about that! Fucking idiot!_

I try to enunciate as clearly as my shaking voice will let me, "L-let me take off my hood so you can u-understand me." I very slowly begin to lower my arms, until a white-flash of sharp, excruciating pain explodes on top of me. The sound of a loud fire cracker ricochets against the glass walls of the gas station; almost drowning out the blood-curdling screams from me and the rest of the hostages. As my knees begin to buckle I knock over the T-shirt rack and catch myself on the shelf, causing there contains to spill all over the floor. Karen's shrieks briefly escape from behind me, before they are abruptly cut off. I shift my vision as it swirls in and out of focus to my left hand and fight the overwhelming urge to faint. All my fingers have been blown off, blood still squirting out of my severed arteries and pooling on top the green metal of the shelf.

"Was that a gunshot?" Barbrady's amplified ignorance sounds over the panicked crowd.

"No," Sam shouts. He quickly jerks his smoking gun out of the police's line of sight.

I take advantage of the opportunity and shove my hood down with my right hand.

"Fuck!" I yell on the top of my lungs. My clear high-pitched voice surprising everyone into silence, including myself.

Sam whips his gun up at me again. "I told you if you moved I'd shoot!"

"What, no you didn't" I shout between my gritted teeth.

"Yes I did!" Sam yells.

"No you didn't," a hostage echoes from the floor. Sam snaps his head down as the man jerks his gaze back to the ground.

"Wait…" Sam's scowl softens as he begins to scratch his head with his gun in thought. "Huh, actually I don't think I did."

I clench my remaining hand until it starts to throb. But with one uneven exhale, I quickly snatch the NASCAR T-shirt now lying in front of my feet. By the time the gun is pointing back at me I already have the once coveted shirt wrapped around my mangled hand. I groan as I begin to put pressure on the wound, not letting one single tear fall. I can't show him how weak I am. "Look, what I was trying to say before was… I want you to take me as your hostage."

"You're volunteering?" Sam raises an eyebrow.

"Don't you want someone that isn't going to fight back?" I shallow hard, trying to push down the nausea creeping up my throat.

Sam crosses his arms and starts tapping the floor, obviously not fully convinced.

"I promise I wouldn't give you any trouble. And besides, I think you owe me one." I raise what's left of my left hand, blood clearly soaking through the T-shirt and dripping down my arm.

"…But why?" Sam continues to question.

I stare down at all the vaguely familiar townsfolk, briefly locking eyes with several panicked, glossy stares before they shoot their heads back down. A few soft whimpers rise above the trembling captives as I witness them draw their loved ones' closer. I can't help clenching my crimson-drenched arm closer to my chest. It's then that something catches my attention out of the corner of my eye. When I refocus my vison, my moist eyes widen as I see my ring finger lying in a pool of blood. I slowly lower my gaze to my crudely bandaged hand, focusing on the stabbing pain pulsating out my gaping wounds. My voice deepens as I glance back at the innocent men, women and children. "All that matters to me is that everyone else makes it out of here unharmed."

Sam purses his lips together as he narrows his eyes at me. Each tap of his foot makes my heart beat a little quicker. _Come on dammit!_

"Alright Hero, come on over here." Sam gestures me, with his gun in hand, to come towards him.

I quietly let out the breath I was holding. With a grunt, I shove aside my looming dizziness and push myself off the shelf. As I stumble forward, the hostages skootch out of my way, parting for me like the red sea.

"Move faster Hero!" Sam yells at me.

"Please don't call me that, I'm not a hero," I mutter under my breath while lowering my head. If only he knew how much immortality takes the fear out of dying. I'm not being brave. Not like Kyle, who was literally going to risk his life, his only life, to try to save his brother. No, I'm no hero. I'm a nobody; just perverted white trash whom no one really seems to care about.

"Don't fucking give me lip you bitch!" Sam snatches my arm. I gasp as he violently yanks me into his grasp, the blood-soaked T-shirt falling to the floor. The smell of ripe onions and vomit violates my nostrils as I'm pinned against Sam's sweaty, jittery body. His arm begins squeezing around my neck, putting me in a headlock to the point where my toes can barely touch the ground. My first twinge of pure visceral panic ripples through my body as I franticly pull at his arm with my good hand, trying to stop him from completely cutting off my windpipe.

"Hey, I thought you said you weren't going to fight!" The handle of the gun cracks down hard on my skull. A unified gasp echoes past the ringing in my ears. My body goes limp in my captor's unstable arms.

"Give me your car keys now or I'll take you instead of this stupid kid." Sam digs the barrel of his gun into my open head wound, making me yelp while my body jerks back to life (if only for a moment). "Take his keys, Mr. Her…, Mr. Zero." Sam laughs at his own stupid joke. I cringe as I feel my chest tighten around my racing heart, making it even harder to breath. The anxious jingling of metal amplifies the pounding in my head as Craig's Dad passes the keys from his trembling hand to my open palm.

Now with everything checked off his escape plan to-do-list, Sam starts staggering towards the entrance, dragging my dead weight right beside him. Between my sharp inhales I manage to flash Sam the direst look I can muster. But its edge is softened when blood begins to trickle over my eye.

Through my clouded vision, I somehow manage to look past Sam and get one last glimpse at Kyle and Karen. I watch as Kyle hugs Karen close to him, reluctantly covering her mouth to muffle her sobs. I briefly make connection with both of their tear-soaked eyes, before Kyle breaks away; tilting his head down. A ping pierces through my heart.

"I…. promise," I manage to mouth to Karen before Sam uses my head to slam the gas station door open. As soon as the door chimes behind us, all of the police officers swarm with guns at the ready.

"Let the boy who I've never seen before go!" Barbrady demands.

 _Sounds…about…right,_ I struggle to think as the thumping in my head grows stronger.

"If you try anything I'll shoot, I don't care if I kill a fucking kid!" Sam yells as he yanks me with him in the direction of the remaining cars; all of them on the other side of the parking lot. The barrels of the police officers' guns move in tandem with every step we take.

I succumb to the heaviness weighting down my eyelids only for a second, but gasp when I open them to find that we're already reached the gas station pumps. As Sam and I stumble underneath the flickering gas station canopy lights with police in tow, something becomes briefly illuminated out of the corner of my eye. My teeth clench as I fight to twist my throbbing head to the side and squint my hazy eyes. As if on cue, the lights hum back to life. Staring back at me is a blurred man dressed in all black, standing in the middle of the desolate parking lot. He flashes me a glowing-white grin before disappearing back into the darkness. Ice runs through my veins and sends chilling shockwaves down my limbs, freezing my bones into place. However, it takes me a moment to realize that Sam has also stopped in his tracks. We've finally reached the hostages' cars.

"SHIT! I didn't ask that cocksucker which fucking car is his! Hey Zero, go and see what car these keys fit in!"

Without warning, Sam shoves me hard against the back of a tan corolla. Due to either instinct or pure stupidity, I try catching myself with both hands. An agonizing scream rips out of my dry lips as blood from my severed fingers smears along the surface of the trunk and trails all the way down onto the icy unforgiving ground.

"Get the fuck up Zero!" With all the strength I have left, I try using my good hand to lift myself off the spinning asphalt. But in the blink of an eye the ground shifts from beneath me. I can't stop myself from falling flat on my pathetic face.

"You're completely worthless!" Sam screams at me. I can't stop myself from curling up into a ball. "Give me the keys, I'll do it myself!" I witness a fuzzy figure lumbering towards my powerless body, growing more out of focus with each menacing step.

"Did…already kill…?" I'm only able to catch fragments of what the officer is saying.

"…concussioned…. taking…awake or not…can't shoot me." Sam growls.

 _I…I'm sorry…Sam_ , I struggle to think as I feel my consciousness slipping, _c-can't…ha-ve you…e-escape… and… hurt anyone… e-else._

"H-Hey Sa…Sam." I peer up at the looming figure now towering over me, pointing something at my head. "Ya-Ya…You're…a…n…idiot!"

BANG.

Metal tears through my brain, shredding vital neural networks along its destructive path. I don't feel any pain until the object thrusts itself through the back of my skull. In that moment, searing electricity radiates out from my exit wound and burns the rest of my neuropathways. Pure terror seizes my heart as hot blood pours out of my screaming mouth. The last thing I hear are gun shots before everything goes black.

* * *

In the dark void, all is still, all is quiet, all is nothing. I am there, and yet, I am not there. All I know for certain is, I'm at peace.

From deep within the utter-emptiness of the abyss comes a soft hum. The sound draws closer, gradually becoming distinguishable as human voices, but speaking words I don't understand. Eventually, the nonsensical chanting booms inside the limitless space, deafening me. I want to scream, but I no longer know how. Then suddenly, the voices are tightening around me, forcing me to regain feeling back in my limbs. The voices are tugging at my legs, dragging me away from this blissful sanctuary. _Sto…NO!_

My eyes snap open as my breath hinges. Posed in the middle of the wooden sky is the moon, rapidly being covered by a pitch-black orb at an unnaturally fast-speed. When the last sliver of the moon's glow is swallowed by the darkness, beams of light flash against the wooden sky before raining down on me. Time stops. But the unintelligible voices continue to swarm around me. I open my mouth to speak, but only cries come out. All of the sudden my head is turned to the side. That's when I see her, the stone statue of a young woman on top the water. A shawl hanging from her head and arms, hands outstretched towards me. Her glowing ruby eyes tearing deep into my soul.

* * *

I spring up from my stiff bed and clutch my chest, hyperventilating in a pool of my own sweat. But as the familiar sights of my moon-lite bedroom filters through my panic-stricken eyes, I begin to loosen the grip on my parka. I rest my head on my knees. My breath begins to slow as I focus on the pounding of my heart against my thighs.

"I fucking hate that nightmare." I mutter under my hood. Nightmare, memory, vision, hallucination; I don't really know what it is. All I know is that it sometimes appears to me after I die, more frequently now than when I was a little kid. I sneak a peek at all the library books piled on my nightstand: from "The Book of Han" to "Immortality of the Gods: Legends, Mysteries, and the Alien Connection to Eternal Life". I let out a long-defeated sign and bury my face back into my sheets. I must be worthless, because after all this research I still can't figure out what any of it means and how it connects to my immortality, if it does at all.

I'm snapped out of my train of thought by a knock at my door. "Kenny, are you awake?"

A wave of relief washes over me. "Come i…" Before I can finish my sentence the door swings open and Karen comes running in, leaping at me with her arms outstretched.

"I'm so happy you're okay!" She squeezes my rigid body with all her tiny might. I tilt my head down and am met with a loving smile and tears of joy welling up in her eyes.

"I was going to say the same thing." I wrap my arms around her and take in a long-satisfied breath; allowing the warmth that's radiating from inside my chest to melt my stiff posture and finally relax my tired muscles.

"I-I was so scared. I thought that man was going to ki…hurt all of us, but you stopped him." She nuzzles into my chest and closes her eyes, "You're my hero."

The echo of faint sniffling begins to hover above our heads. But it's only until I notice something warm streaming down my cheeks that it hits me; I'm the one who's crying. I squeeze Karen tight and rest my head on top of hers, allowing my tears to fall.

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 **A/N: I worked very hard on this story/chapter so if you could leave a brief comment letting me know if you liked/disliked it (and/or what you liked/disliked about it) or some constructive criticism that would be extremely appreciated! I really want to get better and I believe feedback is the best way to help someone improve. If you decide to R &R or not, I just want to say thank you to everyone for reading!**


	2. Chapter 1

**WARNING: Rated for Violence, Gore, Sexual Themes and Mature Language.**

 _Disclaimer: I do not own South Park or any of its characters._

* * *

**6-Months Later**

"And that's what a rim job is," I finished with a shit-eating grin hidden under my orange parka.

"Ahhh, sick Kenny!" Stan yells as his face cringes, trying to stop himself from gagging.

"What the fuck dude, how do you even know that?" Kyle adds wide-eyed.

"So, that means you've eaten someone's shit before!" Cartman blurts out before laughing his ass off, "Wow Kinny, I didn't know you were so desperate for food that you'd eat someone's ass!"

"I never said I've done it!" I bark back, "And shut the fuck up fat-ass! At least my mom isn't on the cover of Crack Whore Magazine.

"Wha…what did you say you muffled asshole?!" Cartman eyes bulge under his knitted eyebrows. He whips around to stare me down.

"Dude is that true?" Kyle quickly asks, leaning `forward passed Cartman's girth to look at me for confirmation.

"Yeah, my Dad has a copy." I smirk while meeting the brunette's wavering brown eyes.

"My mom…" Cartman starts raising his voice, but it's quickly drowned out by Kyle and Stan's laughter.

"Shut up you assholes!" Cartman turns his back to me, directing his insistent whining towards my other two friends.

My mind starts tuning out the familiar chatter besides me as my smirk softens to a gentle smile. _Yep, this is our friendship in a nutshell_ , I think to myself. Mulling over our conversation another thought pops into my head. _On second thought, I'd do it if it was a hot girl's ass._

After everyone has calmed down a bit, a brief silence falls over the four of us. As my worn boots pivot in the snow the crunch echoes through the crisp afternoon air. I stare at the yellow bus sign for a few seconds, catching a glimpse of the condensation spilling over my covered mouth. I turn my attention back to the road, fully intending to start walking home to put the finishing touches on mine and Karen's costumes. I would never admit it to anyone, but I'm pretty proud of what I was able to piece together this year. At first, we wanted to be Chewbacca, but my family can't afford Halloween costumes and my drunk mom sure as hell wasn't going to help me make them. But the costumes I ended up scrounging together from the unwanted shit in my house were pretty kickass. I even sewed a white sheet together to make a makeshift Leia dress for Karen (which I would **really** never admit to anyone). But my costume is way better. It's not just a superhero costume, but a completely new and badass superhero; even better than Batman! _That two tons of candy is as good as miAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_ Muscles tear off my shattering bones, piercing my flesh and spurting blood in all directions. My organs rupture one by one and collapse in on themselves as an insurmountable force drags them towards the unforgiving asphalt. Before I can even comprehend what's happening a damp crunch starts ringing in what's left of my eardrums right before my skull smashes into pieces and brain matter leaches into the snow. I welcome the darkness at it washes over me.

...

As soon as my eyes burst open I shoot straight up on the bed; causing the overpowering smell of gasoline to launch straight up my nostrils. Resisting the urge gag, I'm hit with a disgusting bitterness already dancing on my taste buds; accompanied by…Worchester Sause? _…what the…?_ I try focusing my blurred vision, but all that does is trigger a splitting headache that almost knocks me on my back again. _Wha…What happened?_ The thought circles around my dazed brain until something clicks. Memories from my most recent death break through the haze and flood my mind. _So…So much pain…_ My sore muscles tense up. I just sit there for a while, unable to make myself move. I know this death was over almost instantaneously, but I can't stop thinking about how much I felt in that instant. Remanence of the crushing agony twinge my skin, making my blood run ice cold. That's when I feel pressure work its way up to my sinuses, threatening to begin the waterworks.

 _NO! STOP IT KENNY! Get…get ahold of yourseOW!_ A sharp pain shoots across my temples and down the sides of my body _. ...Dammit…You've experienced way worse. Don't be a fucking crybaby!_

"What are the odds that a Russian space station would fall from the sky and land on an innocent little boy," a nasally-voiced man comments from the other side of the wall.

"Must be one of the unluckiest boys to ever live," another man somberly answers.

 _Fucking tell me about it…Wait! What the hell! Why are there weird men in my housOWW FUCK!_ I bite the inside of my lip to hold back a groan. A gut-wrenching phantom pain echoes in the pit of my stomach. _…...sh,shit, must be another drug deal._ I rack my brain trying to find the right words, but all my battered mind can come up with is… _fuck my parents_!

I clench my teeth as my stiff fingers grip the edge of the bed. But in an instant, all the blood drains from my face when I'm not greeted by the warmth of my dingy mattress. Instead, chills rocket up my spine from the cool metal beneath my fingertips. _What the fuck! What the fuck! This isn't my bed! I've only woken up in my room after dying!_ That's when I notice a huge unfamiliar grey blur out of the corner of my eye. I desperately fight against the heavy pressure pounding on my skull to read the label on what I can now see is a giant container. _E, m, b, a, l, m, i, n, g, F, l, u, i, d._ The string of letters means nothing to me. It's like the fog weighing down on my brain is preventing me from piecing them together _. Em…balm…ing…Fl…uid...Embalm…ing…Fluid….Embalming Fluid! Am I in a fucking morgue!_ That's when it hits me, the gross rubbing alcohol taste in my mouth…is embalming fluid. _What the fuck! What the fuck! What the fuck! WHAT THE FUCK! This shouldn't be happening! I should be in my fucking bed! Why am I herAHHHHHHHH! FUCK!_ Pain erupts from my ribcage as a cracking sound bursts out of my chest. A yelp fails to escape my lips as the piece of rib freely slices down my torso until I feel the impact low in my gut. Dread courses through my veins as I come to grips with how hallow I feel inside. _Am I… I'm still dead…_ My flesh is left ice cold as the blood continues rushing out of my body. I can practically feel it…I frantically yank my gaze down, and to my horror, find a syringe piercing my arm. My panic-stricken eyes follow the last of my blood flowing down a tube and into a bucket. _AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_ I try screaming on the top of my lungs, attempting to rip the syringe out of my arm.

Nothing…The undisturbed silence is left encircling my frozen body.

 _Wha…WHAT THE FUCK!_ I command my arm to pull the disturbing contraption out of me…but my arm remains stiff at my side. _Fucking move, why aren't you moving goddammit! MOVE!_ I can't even get my fingers to budge anymore. With each agonizing moment, the ball of fear weighing on my eviscerated stomach grows until it threatens to burst again. I strain my screaming muscles to the point where empty blood vessels threaten to pop; struggling to lift anything, to just make my lips separate so I can scream. But it's as if I'm gagged and chains are tied to my limbs, weighing them down. That's when the horrifying realization hit me, _I'm trapped inside my own dead body…NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOOOOO!_ The walls of my decaying flesh seem to be closing in, constricting around me, suffocating me. But without any hint of a struggle from the lack of oxygen, it becomes all too clear that I haven't been breathing this entire time. I feel that familiar pressure raise in my sinuses again, but not a single tear streams down my frozen cheeks. My body won't even let me cry.

"...So then the necrophiliac says, 'If this ain't a cadaver then I- '" As soon as that nasally-voice echoes through the adjacent wall and into my eardrums again, all my thoughts and fears are dumped out my brain, allowing the fog to finally settle. Nothing is left, except one word… _Brains._

The invisible chains tied to my limbs yank me off the examination table and propel me through the flimsy wall of the morgue. The blond mortician's balding head glistens under the cool florescent lights, inviting me in. I latch onto his shoulders before opening my mouth wide. Delicious blood and brain tissue trickle down my dry throat after ripping a chuck of his scalp off.

"Hey!" my first victim yells at me.

Like a panther, I lunch at the other man and sink my fangs deep into his arm. He screams as I tear at his warm succulent flesh, snapping ligaments between my teeth. I savor the steamy blood that splatters on my freezing skin.

Before I can go in for seconds the mysterious force controlling my body heaves me out the open door. As I become shrouded in the darkness of the autumn night, I hear a final exchange between the men. But at this point, their sounds no longer register as words. The darkness then completely enveloped me.

...

 _AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_ My screams ricochet in my brain until it gets some of the fog to disperse. I internally gasp as my thoughts reemerge to the surface. _AHHHHHHHHHHHH!_ The cracking of bones echoes in the brisk night air. Every step my body takes feels like broken glass piercing my feet and shooting up into my ruptured organs; igniting a fire in each of them. But nothing is worse than the images sired in my mind of me tearing off those men's flesh from their bones. _This is so fucked up! How…AHHHHHHH...H…How could I do that!_ I can still taste it…that metallic liquid. My eyes threaten to pop out of their sockets when I realize my mouth is coated with it…with their blood. My lips remain stapled shut as I violently gag. Acidic bile and embalming fluid lunge up into my throat and fill my disgusting mouth. _I deserve this, I hurt those people…._ Guilt twists inside my hallow body as the agony continued to burn inside of me. I'm left for hours wondering south park enduring every ounce of feverish pain and shame.

* * *

 **A/N: Hi everyone! Since it's the Halloween season I wanted to try my hand at a horror story. I'm going as Kenny this Halloween so I thought a story involving him would be fitting, and after rewatching Pinkeye I thought this would be perfect. There are a good amount of in-episode references in this story so rewatching the episode will have them make more sense. More chapters will be coming as soon as I finish them.**

 **Also yay I finally submitted a piece of my writing! If you can/want to, let me know if you think the descriptions I give interrupt the flow of the story.**

 **THANKS AND HAVE A SPOOPY HALLOWEEN!**

 **UPDATE: I'm 3/4 done with the next chapter. Will be coming out as soon as I am done.**


	3. Chapter 2 (End)

All my surroundings have long since blurred into a familiar haze. Holes have worn through my old boots hours ago. As my decrepit body mindlessly wander for miles upon miles my brain slips in and out of a deep fog; only jarred awake by the occasional sounds of my newly exposed heel bone scraping against asphalt. But I don't care. It seems that everything went numb a while back.

But from the pitch-darkness, a huge whoosh suddenly erupts above my head. My sight propels upwards to witness the night sky moving before my widening eyes. It isn't until the shirking of birds explodes in my ears that I realize the rushing sky is actually black birds swarming below the dim moonlight. _Wow Kenny, scared by some stupid birds, what a badass…_ I think with an eye roll.As the flock clears I notice the three large glowing orbs in the sky for the first time. The planets are so big and prominent against their starry backdrop. But in the pit of my stomach I can't shake the feeling that something's wrong; something's missing. The sky seems emptier than it should be.

That's when a twig snaps a few feet behind me. My nonexistent breath hinges. _I-is anyone there?_ I want so badly to be able to shout, to break the invisible force that has seemingly glued my lips together. But it's hopeless. Silence continues to linger in the frigid air, tightening the knots in my eviscerated stomach. My body marches forward, completely unfazed; pulled by the invisible chains tied to my limbs, just like a lifeless marionette.

With my next forced step, the silence is shattered by the echoing of footsteps out of rhythm with my own, lumbering through the snow; drawing closer with each passing moment. Any sensible person would see how fucked up I look and run the other way. Why is this person fucking following me?

Dread slowly drags itself up my rigid spine as this overwhelming sense of a presence begins looming over me. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck shoot straight up as a breath glides over them. I can't stop myself from shaking within my flesh prison, making my rotting skin crawl.

"You're early." The man's heated lips graze my frozen ear. All I can do is tighten my pathetically frightened eyes.

I hear the stranger inhale, preparing to say something probably even more fucking cryptic. But to my amazement, his presence suddenly disappears from behind me.

I slowly open my eyes, causing my body to involuntarily wince's when my dilated pupils reflect the first rays of light. As pink and orange radiate from the emerging sunrise, stream across the sky and gradually illuminate the world, my muscles slowly begin to relax.

But when the forest of telephone poles starts to peek out from the darkness, my brief reprieve is instantly crushed. _No…_ Now fully illuminated in front of me is a raggedy unkempt wooden fence. My stare follows each broken board, fighting the terror that is bubbling up in my hallow torso with each loose plank, until my icy-blue eyes find what I prayed to god wouldn't be here; a run-down green house.

"You fuckin' good-for-nothing bum! Why don't you get a job so we can fuckin' afford breakfast!" I hear my mom shout from inside.

 _Home!_ _Fuck, Fuck, FUCK!_ I frantically struggle against the invisible chains pulling me towards my house, causing my abused and exhausted muscles to tense and scream even more. _Please body fucking stooooop! Don't hurt them!_ As dirt and shattered beer bottles from my driveway seep into my foot wounds, the growling from my stomach howls in my ears. I go completely numb. _Please…please don't make me do this!_ I beg to myself as I slam my eyes shut. The creaking of rotting wood echoes from under my feet before everything falls dead silent. I open my panic-stricken eyes to find my body shaking, stopped right in front of my front door. _Did I…_

The shattering of glass booms from the other side of the wall. "Ha, you missed you fuckin' stupid bitch!" my dad taunts. As soon as those drunken slurs reach my eardrums a raging storm wrenches at my mind and severing any connection it might have formed with my body. I feel myself begin to slip away…

… _Brains…_

My eyes burst open into pure darkness as the unmistakable sensation of sliding backwards on my stomach jolts me to consciousness. I'm falling fast; straight towards god-knows-what. Pure instinct kicks in as I frantically flail my limbs around, trying to gasp onto the bumps I feel in the ground. But everything is covered with slime. I can't get a firm grip on anything! The ground is so squishy that it's bending beneath me; forming a grotesque slip and slide that's propelling me faster. My body picks up speed, making the wind knock off my hood and blow my blond hair in all directions. I dart my eyes like a crazed madman trying to see through the darkness. After a few seconds I somehow catch a glimpse of something long and slender swaying in front of me. In that instant, the ground disappears from under my feet. I scream as I blindly reach my hands into the humid air. As my legs makes its way over the edge of the cliff I feel the texture of metal chains rapidly slip between my slime-soaked gloves. _Ah, fuck!_ I struggle to press my palms against the chain as I fall, praying to God or Satan, that the friction will peel the gloves off my fingers. As my stomach slips off the rounded edge of the cliff my mittens fly off, giving me a better grip of the chain. I finally begin to slow down until I come to a complete stop right before my hands go over.

I stay there hanging for what seems like hours, covered in goo and blinking repeatedly in an attempt to restart my brain. But in the next instant, I gasp as I feel the chain slide ever so slightly between my sweaty palms. Trembling, I pull myself up enough to dig my elbows into the moist ground. With one deep exhale, I sway my waist back and forth until I get enough momentum to swing one leg onto the cliff. The promise to participate more in PE, if this nightmare ever ends, fills my thoughts as I struggle to pull the rest of my body over the edge and onto the slope. My heart pounds inside my ribcage as I try to catch my breath. But I keep a firm grip on the chain, knowing gravity would pull me back over if I loosened my hold even slightly.

That's when it hits me, _I'm breathing_...I pause to feel the rhythm from inside my chest… _and my heart is beating_ … _and…I'VE BEEN MOVING!_

"I'M ALIVE!" I yell on the top of my lungs. The sweet sound of my own unmuffled voice brings a huge smile to my face. "HA! Fuck you Death!"

The abrupt crackling of white noise interrupts my little celebration. My attention is drawn to a large static screen at the top of the slope; one that definitely wasn't there a moment ago. In that instant, the glow from the screen illuminates my surroundings. My gasp booms loud inside the chamber as I almost loose my grip again. "What the fuck!" I yell while fighting the urge to gag. As I look all around me it becomes disgustingly clear I'm lying on the pink, winkled, gelatinous surface of a brain!

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" My scream echoes across the cavern.

The static buzzing on the screen is suddenly replaced by an image of a wooden door; my front door. Before I can process what exactly that means; an earthquake erupts beneath me and launches me forward. I grip the chain with every ounce of strength I have and land with a squishy thud, making a crater in the brain. At the same time, I watch the screen's point of view lunge forward and the door break into pieces, revealing my cluttered living room. The screen begins to slowly move forward into my house, causing me to shudder as I feel the coarse fibers of my shabby carpet under my heels. I whip my head back to find my boots intact, still planted underneath disgusting brain matter. But it's when I look back at my living room carpet reflected on the screen that it starts to make sense. I'm watching myself from my body's point of view out in the real world.

Suddenly, I hear the whizzing of something flying passed my ear followed by glass shattering behind me, right before I feel pain exploding on my face. I yelp as a large piece of phantom glass lodges in my cheek, leaving no mark in this 'mindscape'. But in the real world, my body doesn't even flinch. It just stands there in silence as green ooze drips down the lining of its orange hood.

"Ha, you missed again bitch!" I see my dad gloat with his back facing the screen.

"Stop callin' me a bitch in front of our children you lazy piece of shit!" my mom yells at him.

"Our kids just went to their room you stupid whore," my dad laughs.

Without a hint of hesitation my mom hurls another empty beer bottle at my dad, and again, it explodes next to my face. "What the fuck Mom!" I yell through the pain, knowing she can't hear me. "Can't you fucking see I'm right here?"

"You're the stupid whore Stuart, Kenny's right behind you!" my mom gestures.

"You're such a…" he begins to say as he turns around to see his dead son, with his pale rotting flesh, a huge oozing gash through his stomach and blood covering his entire body. "Oh, hey Kenny".

My mouth drops wide open in the mindscape as my dad turns back to face my mom with a smirk. "Hey, this is great Carol, now we don't need to waste money on a fuckin funeral."

My mom nods, "At least now we got enough money for some fuckin' breakfast, no thanks to you, you lazy-good-for-nothin'." My mom turns her head to look directly at her corpse-of-a-son. "Kenny get your ass to the store quick and get us some frozen waffles before headin' to school."

"What…" I stare misty-eyed at my two unfazed parents as my heart sinks deep down into the black abyss. _They remembered that I died…and_ _they don't care…they don't care….h-ho…how_ … _my parents…_ Tears well up in my eyes, threatening to erupt. …. _They never cared about me, did they_? I shake my head, flinging my tears away. "NOOO!" Through my blurred vision I find myself strangling the chain so violently between my fists that my knuckles turn white. "WHAT THE ACTUALLY FUCK! HOW CAN THEY NOT GIVE A SHIT THAT I'M DEAD! THOSE…THOSE FUCKING MONSTERS!"

With that thought tearing through my soul I am thrown backwards in the mindscape as my body lounges at my father. He hits the floor hard, knocking his "Scotch" hat clean off his head. My body uses its inhuman strength to keep him pinned to the floor.

"Hey, my hat!" My dad twists his head in all directions trying to locate his stupid tacky hat; completely ignoring me. Fire ignites inside my chest as my body begins crushing my dad's arms between its fists, making my dad scream in agony. The sounds of cracking bones echo alongside his cries.

My dad finally looks up at my body; finally giving me his full attention. But in the reflection of his terrified, enlarged pupils I witness my body's jaw bone continuously snap and dislocate itself until it's unnaturally wide and unhinged. I suddenly go cold. In the mindscape, I stare with widened eyes, unable to blink; my heart pounding so violently in my ears it threatens to deafen me. But I can still hear my Dad's horrific sobs as my body dives deep into his neck. The patch of greasy flesh stretches and pulls until it snaps off my dad's bone, just like a rubber band. Blood launches in all directions. I can't stop myself from throwing up onto the brain as blood vessels begin bursting like gushers between my body's teeth. I scream in frustration. No matter how much I puke my guts out, the fresh taste of blood is still strong inside my mouth. But the longer the taste lingers, the more I realize the blood almost tastes sweet, almost g… _wait, no! How can I be thinking that?!_ "Please, don't kill him!"

I let out a sigh of relief when I look back up at the screen and realize my body didn't bite into his carotidartery. But I only get a second to relax before I hear a thud in front of me. My body's neck snaps up to witness my mother clutching her ankle and muttering obscenities, sitting next to a trash bag with its contains now strewn all over the hallway.

"Mom, RUN!" I scream. My body sprints right passed my dad, who's rolling around incoherently on the floor and clutching his bloody neck. I'm completely powerless to stop my body from tackling my mom to the ground; only being able to preemptively hold onto the chain and stop myself from being flung backwards in the mindscape again.

"Stop fooling Ken-" my mom begins to say before my head suddenly smashes into her forehead. I begin screaming on deaf-ears as I helplessly watch my body's face slam into my mom's skull over and over again. Each time my body's head lifts up between blows, I stare in horror as her forehead begins to cave in and blood sweeps across her face. "STOP HURTING HER! PLEASE!" I try to ignore the raging headache pounding inside my skull as I hopelessly command my body to stop between my screams of pain. But it shows no mercy, only relenting when my mother closes her eyes and slips into unconsciousness.

"Please stop…" I beg, holding back a sob. "I don't want this!" Before I can comprehend what is happening, my body lounges again at my mom, but this time it tears off her cheek. I can't stop myself from puking again after catching a glimpse of her exposed cheek bone. As bile drips from my lips I start screaming my heart out. I just want this torture to end! … I just want my parents to be okay…

"Get the fuck off of my mom you bastard!" I hear a familiar voice coming from above me. When my body slowly cranes it's neck up I'm met face to face with my older brother Kevin, wielding a half empty bottle above his head. "Kenny?" Kevin's eyes widen in bewilderment. But just as fast as turning on a light switch, Kevin's scowl contorts into a stained smile. "Hey Kenny, I guess it's cool you're not dead."

"What…what the fuck…" I manage to mutter, knitting my brows in utter confusion. "Th-this can't be right…Kevin would care if I died…won't he?" A seed of doubt burrows itself deep into my soul, making my chest physically tighten.

Abruptly, the screen pans away from Kevin's face to the Smirnoff vodka in his hand, followed by the open backpack next to his feet. "Wait…he…took that out of his backpack, didn't he? He promised me he was going to stop drinking at school," I seethe through gritted teeth. My vision goes red. "He lied to me, that alcoholic bastard!" A raging fire ignites within me, searing my insides and turning my anguish into ash.

My body uses my mother's unconscious body as a springboard and launches itself at Kevin. The sound of glass shattering echoes throughout the narrow hallway as the vodka bottle, and Kevin's head, smash into the floor.

Droll drips down onto Kevin's unconscious body, seemingly marinating it, before my body sinks its fangs into his skull. But the moment my taste buds make contact with a gelatinous substance, I snap out of my anger-fueled trance. I can't tear my haunted stare away from the screen as it showcases the huge bite mark in Kevin's mutilated brain, "Did…Did I do that…no…NO! I…I don't know…I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! I…I don't know what is happening to me! Am I…I'm losing control of my mind too! No, NO, NOOO!" I wail, tears streaming down my face.

My body's ears perk up when they hear soft crying coming from Kevin and Karen's room. "No…" I shudder. Inch by inch my body lifts itself off of my brother's limp body. "No…no please…" With each agonizing step towards Karen's cries dread seizes my quaking body, leeching over every inch of my goosebumps riddled skin until suddenly tightening; finally squeezing out my panicked cries. "PLEASE, NOT KAREN! I CAN'T HURT HER! PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME DO THIS! I'LL DO ANYTHING!" I can't stop myself from finally giving into hysterics. All my pain seems to rush to the surface, opening the flood gates. I begin heaving so hard in between my violent weeping that my chest starts to ache. But in the haze of my breakdown, my attention is drawn back to the chain as the light from the screen glistens off its metal surface.

With a few very shaky, but forceful exhales, I do my best to push down my emotions and pull myself up. Wiping my tears on the sleeve of my parka, I firmly plant my foot into one of the brain's slimy grooves and slide my hands up the chain, beginning my climb towards the screen. "I w-on't let any-thing happe-n to you Karen." I hiccup through my lingering sobs. As I sniffle, I catch a glimpse of my hands. They're still shaking. I can't do this right now. I need to fucking pull myself together. Karen needs me. "E-Everything wi-ll be okay Karen, I promise," the words this time come out a bit steadier. But in the back of my mind my doubt rages. In truth, I have no idea what I'm doing nor if my plan is even going to work. But I have to try. I have to protect her. I have to.

"K-Kenn-y…" Karen's whimpers echoes inside the mindscape. My body's only a few feet from Kevin and Karen's door, close enough to clearly hear Karen's wails from their bedroom. "Please! Help me! There's someone in the house!"

"Karen, I'm coming!" I put everything I have into scaling the brain faster. My breath rages as I practically run across the slippery ground, paying less and less attention to the stability of my footing. A trail of sweat is left in my wake. _I'm so close, just a little more to go!_ Looking ahead, my heart seizes as I see Kevin and Karen's bedroom door now completely filling the whole screen. "NOOOOOO!" My scream is quickly enveloped by Karen's ear-piercing shriek. In the mist of my body's explosive entrance through the wooden door, shockwaves erupt across the mindscape, launching the chain off the ground and me along with it. Then like a whip, the chain cracks back down. As soon as my feet make contact with the brain's slimy surface, my legs instantly slip from under me. My entire body sinks far down into the brain before its gelatinous form springs back into shape. Time seems to slow as I'm thrown back up again only to have the chain slip out of my sweaty palms. _Karen..._

With that fleeting thought, time crashes back and I'm free falling. I scream as I plummet towards the abyss, trying desperately to catch the chain again. But every time I go for it, it twists away from my hands. "Fuck, Fuck, FUCK!" I wail in frustration. Out of the corner of my eye I see something rapidly approaching me. When I switch my full attention to it, it's too late to brace for impact. I splash back down on the brain headfirst. As my head ricochets back up I catch a glimpse of the screen. For a brief second I see Karen in her flowery pink PJ's; shaking and hugging herself in the corner of the room, her head buried in her lap. "KENNY!"

"Get the fuck away from my sister!" I lunge my arms towards the chain again and this time I finally manage to grab a firm hold of it. The momentum I generated from the fall does its best to yank me off the chain. But I grip on for dear life, refusing to give in. Despite my quaking limbs and hurried breathing, I rocket by head back up to look at the screen.

"Kenny, p-please send a-a guardian angel fr-from heaven to pr-protect me… pl-please K-Kenny," Karen tries to plead in between her labored sobs. For a fleeting moment, only muffled cries fill the space between Karen and the monster. But without a miraculous hell storm conjured from up above, all Karen can do is hug herself tighter. "K-Kenny, w-why di-d you have to le-ave." Karen's body violently flinches when she hears heavy footsteps closing in on her. "KENNY! HE..." Karen cries on the top of her lungs, jutting her head up to finally face her attacker. When her teary gaze makes contact with my body's dull, lifeless eyes, they act as a window into my soul. Through the screen my baby blue eyes make contact with Karen's. I'm forced to watch the recognition of betrayal spark within her. In that moment I relive how it felt to have my insides wrenched out of my body. I've never felt so hallow, not even when I was a disemboweled corpse.

"KenAHHHHHHHH!" Karen starts to whimper before screaming in pain and falling limp to the ground.

"KAREN!" Without a second thought I launch back onto my feet and start sprinting. Each stride makes large sunken footprints into the brain's malleable surface. Adrenaline surges through my legs, propelling me faster than I ever thought possible. I fly back up the length of the brain until I crash through the screen.

Panic briefly settles in my crushed lungs as my breath is abruptly stinted. My vision starts to wander in an unfocused daze before recognition finally hits me like a train. Through my corpse's hazed eyes I see Karen's motionless body across the room. _It worked_! Instinctively, I try to go to her, but that's when I feel those fucking invisible chains tighten around my limbs, forcing me to stay in place. _Karen, wake up!_ I desperately try to yell, but it only echoes inside my mind.

Acting as if she had somehow heard me, Karen starts to stir. As she staggers to her feet, Karen whimpers, "Kenny, why are you…" I instantly stop struggling against my binds when I catch a glimpse of Karen's face. As Karen's pleading eyes make contact with mine, her trembling lips begin to twitch and spasm. "…not helping me…" Rivers of tears stream down her rosy red cheeks, pooling in the corners of her lips as they start to curl. "…with my Halloween costume?" With that last word, the tremor in her voice all but disappears; replaced by a haunting toothy grin. "You can finish my costume now like you promised, you know, since you're not dead anymore." Karen smile extends from ear-to-ear. Her pupils dilate, almost completely covering her blue irises and masking any emotion hidden underneath. Now standing up straight, Karen's head sharply tilts to the side with a crack, "Help me Kenny!" Karen begins to chuckle before it turns into a full belly laugh.

Karen's cruel laugher gushes through my ears and claws at my brain. My mind seizes, unable to process what is happening. The world around me is spinning. Nothing makes sense! All my mind can do to cope is block everything out. Let everything fade into nothingness…all expect Karen's taunting laughter. It won't stop. It won't stop swarming inside my head, picking at the last bites of sanity I have left. _Karen…how…how can you not care…that I died…No! This isn't right! This can't be real! Karen cares. Karen's always cared. She's the only one that has ever cared…_ Karen's merciless laughter continues to boom inside my skull, rattling my fractured mind, mocking everything I thought I knew. _Enough, Enough, Enough, ENOUGH!_ I want so badly to be able to cover my ears. To curl up into a ball and disappear from this nightmare. To stop my reality from crashing down on me; stop it from crushing me into nothing.

I'm ripped out of shock as something hot streams down my cold, rotting cheek. I blink over and over again, feeling the tears clinging to my eyelashes. _I…I'm crying…_

Without my realization, my body takes a step towards Karen.

 _Wait stop!_ My body takes another step. _I-I have to stop this. How do I stop this!_ I try to yell as my decrepit body lurches across the room. That's when it hits me. _Emotions, it's my intense emotions!_ Despite the dire situation in front me, I do my best to block everything out of my mind again. But this time, I'm the one in control. Focusing, I conjure up multiple images in my mind. Of Karen and I playing with her dolls. Of comforting Karen after a bad dream. Of the smile on Karen's face when I saved up my money to buy her a birthday cake. Of Karen running into my arms after a particularly bad death. Of Karen calling me her hero. Warmth grows inside my chest, radiating throughout my body, seemingly melting the cold, dark death out of me. My limbs suddenly feel lighter, making me realize that I can no longer sense the weight of the invisible chains around my wrists and ankles. My blackened lips begin to curl into a smirk. And now that my mind is finally clear, it becomes painfully obvious to me that something otherworldly is happening to Karen. Whatever it is, it's controlling her and making her say things she didn't mean. I know she does care about me. She loves me. And I love her.

I open my eyes. Within an arm's length from me is Karen, completely silent and untouched. My smile deepens seeing that she's okay, at least physically. But the closer I look at Karen, the more her unnatural smile seems to be giving, becoming more strained by the second. Fresh tears suddenly spill from her eyes once again. Her pupils' contract to their normal size, revealing the terror and sadness that were hidden beneath. "K-en-ny, h-hel-p m-me," Karen struggles to whisper.

Another tear leaches out of my decaying tear ducts and rolls down my cheek. With that, tremors begin to wrestle inside my limbs, threatening to break out of my control the longer I stand there. _I am_ , I reassure her; fully knowing that she can't hear me, but hoping maybe she can sense my intensions. Tearing my teary gaze away from my tortured little sister I focus all my attention on the window next to her. Without missing a beat, my body leaps forward, glass shattering all around me.

My head hits the dirt, hard; further cracking my already fractured skull. The frigid air sends chills through my corpse as the wind blows against my exposed brain. Emotionally exhausted, I allow myself to go limp within my own body, temporarily giving it back the rains. My body tries to lift itself up, only to slam back down headfirst into the mud. Peering up to scan my front yard, I find my glass-riddled arm in a puddle of green ooze, detached by the force of the fall. But I don't care. All I care about is that Karen is safe. And since Kevin and Karen started shifting after they saw me, hopefully Karen will go back to normal now that I'm gone and call 911 for the rest of the family. Everything will be okay. Everything will work out. I have to believe that. I have to. Even if it doesn't work out for me. A sigh reverberates inside my throat before I drift to sleep.

Author's Note: I finished ¾ of this chapter a while ago, but didn't get back to it until I was given the perfect opportunity to during isolation from COVID-19. I'm very happy I finally finished this story and actually enjoyed writing it a lot more than I thought I would. The original story idea was supposed to be a few more chapters, but after writing this I decided to stop it here. Hope you all enjoy! I'd really appreciate any reviews or advise! Stay safe and healthy everyone!


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